Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-05-13


BRooKLYN, April 24.-At the Taber-
Witt Talmage, D. D., read from tho Book
of Proverbs some lessons about homes,
thrift. He then gave out the hymn be-
ginning:
The strife will not be long
This day the noise of baltic,
The next tho victor's cong.
The boy choir chanted on opening and
closing selection. DIR. Talmage's discourse
was entitled: Behind tho Counter; or,
Trials and Encouragements Of Statesmen
and Saleswomen." He took the two fol-
lowing passages as his text: "And GER
tain woman named Lydia, seller of
purple, of the city of Thyatira, which
worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the
Lord opened. Acts xvi. Ia. "Seest thou
man diligent in his business, he shall
stand before kings."-Proverbs xxi. 20.
The preacher said:
The first passage introduces toyOu Lydia,
Christian merchantrcss. Her business is
to deal in purple cloths or silks. She is
not Il Cycling nonenity, but a practical
woman, not ashamed to work for her living.
All the other women of Philippi and Thy
atira have been forgotten. but God has
made immortal in our text Lydia, the
Christian saleswoman.
The other text shows you man with head
and hand and heart and foot all busy toll
ing on up until he gains princely success.
"Seest thou man diligent in business, he
shall stand before Kings" Great en-
couragement in these two passages for
men and women who will be busy, but no
solace for those who are waiting for good
luck to show them. at tho foot of the rain
bow, Il casket of buried gold.a It is folly
for anybody in this world 10 wait for some-
thing to turn up. 1t will turn down. The
law of thrift is as memorable rs the law of
tides. Fortune, the magician, may wave
her arm in that direction until castles and
palaces come, but she will, after while,
invert the same wand, and oil the splendors
will vanish into thin Dir. There are GER
tain styles of behavior which lead to use
fulness, honor, and permanent success.
and there are certain styles of behavior
which lead to dust, dishonor, and moral de-
fault. 1 would like to fire the ambition of
young people. have no sympathy with
those who would prepare young folks for
life by whiting down their expectations.
That man or woman will be worth nothing
to church or state who, begins life cowed
down. The business of Christianity is
not TO quench but to direct human ambi-
ton. Therefore it is that come out this
morning and utter words Of encourage
ment TO those who are occupied as clerks
in houses of the country. You say: "Why
select one class, and talk to one specially
surgeon does not open the door of a
hospital and throw in bushel of pre-
scriptions, saying: "Come. now. and get
your medicine" He first feels the pulse,
watches the symptoms. and then pre-
scribes for that particular case. So to-day
must be specific. The people i'll this
audience who are clerks are not an ex-
ceptional class. They belong to, great
company of tens of thousands who are in
this country amid circumstances which will
either make or break them for time and for
edge that the clerks, male and female. of
other cities, are any more honest or faith
full than the clerks of our own city. Many
of those people have already achieved O
Christian manliness and a Christian wo-
1nanliness which will be their passport to
any position. have seen their trials.
have watched their perplexities. There
are evils abroad which need to he hunted
down, and dragged out into the MONDAY
light.
In the first place counsel clerks to re-
member that for the most part their clerk
ship is only school from which they are to
be graduated. 1t takes about eight years 10
get one of the learned professions. II
takes about eight years TO get to be mer-
chant. Some of you will be clerks all your
lives, but the vast majority of you are only
in transient position. After while,
some December day, the head men of the
firm will call you into the back office, and
they will say to you: "Now, you have done
we'll by us; we are going 10 do we'll by you.
We invite you to have al interest in on,
concern" You will bow to that edict very
gracefully. Getting into street car to &c
home, an old comrade will meet you and
say: what makes you look SO happy to-
night?" "Oh," you will say, nothing,
nothing" But in q few days your name
will blossom on the sign. Either in the
store or bank where you are now, or in
some other store or bank, you will take a
higher position than that which you now
occupy. So feel to-day that am stand
ing before people who will yet have thei,
hand on the helm of the worlds commerce
now clerks, but to be bankers, importers,
insurance company directors, shippers,
contractors, superintendent of railroads
your voice mighty con ange"--standine
foremost in the great financial and religious
enterprises Of the day. For, though we
who are in the profession may, on the
platform, plead for the philanthropies,
after all the merchants must come forth
with their millions to sustain the move
ment. be, therefore, patent and dlligent
in this transient position. You are now
where you can learn things you can never
learn in any other place. What you con-
slider your disadvantages are your grand
opportunity. You see an affluent father
some day come down on a appointment street
with his son who has just graduated from
the university, and establishing him in
business, putting 100000 in the store.
Well, You are envious. You say, ooh, if ]
only had chance like that young mani
! only had father 10 put $lOO;QO0 in O
business for me, then would have some
chance i'll the world" BE not envious
You have advantages over that young man
which lie has not over you. AS we'll might
4 come down to the docks when vessel is
about to sail for Valparaiso and say, Gle,
me pilot this ship out of the Narrows.
Why, / would sink crew and cargo before
got out of the harbor, simply because
know nothing about piiotage. Wealthy
sea captains put their sons before the mas,
for the reason that they know it is the only
place where they can learn TO be successful
sailors. 1t is only under drill that people
get to understand pilotage and navigation
and l Want you to understand that il
takes no more skill to conduct a
vessel out Of the harlor and across tho sea
than to steer a commercial establishment
clear of the rocks. You see every day the